


Imagine

by BelleBasBleue



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir Is a Little Shit, Alternate Universe - Fashion & Models, Badass Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, CEO, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Fluff, Hot Mess Adrien Agreste, Hot Mess Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I Don't Even Know, No Smut, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Soulmate AU, Soulmate body switch, body switch
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-06
Updated: 2019-11-19
Packaged: 2020-11-26 06:57:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20926031
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelleBasBleue/pseuds/BelleBasBleue
Summary: Adrien Agreste could be seen as the worst boss ever. Let's just say he gets a lot of it from his father. Marinette hates working under him as one of his fashion designers, and hopes that the day that she meets her soulmate will get her out of this hell hole. On people's 23rd birthdays, soulmates switch bodies until they learn to love each other. What happens when one wakes up one day inside the body of their biggest enemy? Marinette sure doesn't know.In other words: Marinette and CEO Adrien Agreste are soulmates and are stuck in each other's bodies and have no idea on how to fix it.





	1. Chapter 1

Marinette slammed the coffee cup with the words: “World’s Best Boss” onto the table, letting out a muted scream. “What if I just put arsenic in his coffee? How would he like that?!” Marinette stuffed a pile of crushed coffee beans into the battered coffee machine in the break room before throwing several cups of water into the machine. “That fucking cow! All he does is whine! A little arsenic would do him some good.”

“What did he do today?” Alya asked, joining Marinette in the break room. Alya did not react to the string of curses that spilled out of Marinette’s mouth as a pile of coffee grounds spilled onto the front of her blouse. She simply nodded in understanding, as if this was a regular affair.

“He called me a worthless bitch without any talent,” Marinette remarked with a salty look, cleaning the front of her blouse with a wet napkin.

“That’s a new one.”Alya reached for a cabinet above Marinette’s head and pulled some crackers down to munch on as well as some more napkins for the mess. She wordlessly added the pile of napkins into Marinette’s hand before boosting herself up onto the counter to sit and watch Marinette work.

Marinette shook her head as she got the coffee ready, setting down the mound of napkins. “He wants me to rewrite the whole fucking proposal just so he can kiss another CEO’s butt, but in reality I am the one doing all of the work! I would love to see him try to do what I do on a daily basis and have me yell at him for every single mistake. UGH!!! I hate him!”

“Are you sure you don’t love him? Love-hate relationship kind of deal?” Alya waggled her eyebrows, only to receive a glare from Marinette. “I’m surprised he hasn’t fired you...you talk back quite a lot.” Alya lifted a stray coffee cup to her lips, watching Marinette from the corner of her eye as she swallowed.

Marinette sighed, letting her shoulders fall. “So am I. At least he pays well; that’s enough incentive to kiss up to his ass...most of the time.” The coffee machine beeps as it finishes and Marinette tossed the brewed coffee haphazardly into the pristine, white mug, letting it pour over the sides in her frustration. Marinette let out a small growl as Alya handed her a roll of paper towels patiently. “He really deserves arsenic,”Marinette grumbled.

“Oh come on, you don’t mean that. You love him to pieces, don’t you,” Alya replied snickering softly.

“Yeah, I would love him if he were in pieces,” Marinette murmured under her breath. Alya hid another smile around the corner of her coffee cup.

“Come one, you know you’re no good at hiding bodies, and neither am I. Plus, Chloe has been looking for a reason to rat you out for a long time, it would be useless just to add to her list of why you should be fired” Alya warned.

“Not if I do it right,” Marinette grumbled. She slapped some spoiled crackers and a croissant on a plate before throwing away the soiled paper towels and napkins. “You can’t deny that he deserves it. He treats everyone like crap around here, and honestly everyone would be thanking me on their knees for getting rid of that horror!”

“Chill, Marinette.” Alya placed a hand on her shoulder in an effort to calm her down. “Ok, so a lot of people don’t like him, but he is still our boss, and wouldn’t it be nice to continue having this job? This is the best place to start if you’re going to make it as a designer.”

Marinette sighed deeply. “Sorry, he just riles this little bug up.” Marinette bunched her shoulders up, shaking her fists, before letting them fall in defeat.

Alya bumped into Marinette’s side playfully. “It happens” Alya laughed. “And hey, by tomorrow you won’t even be worrying about him because you’ll be off in a little dream world of your own!!” she sang knowingly.

Marinette gave Alya a blank look. “Tomorrow. What’s tomorrow?”

Alya placed a hand on her hip and slammed her pack of crackers on the counter next to her. “Girl, it’s your 23rd birthday tomorrow! Don’t tell me you forgot about it? You’ve been waiting for this your entire life!” Alya exclaimed, but Marinette continued to look as confused as ever. “23rd birthday? Soulmates? Does any of that ring a bell, hun? There’s a chance that you’ll switch bodies with your soulmate tomorrow!!! Your life is going to completely change! I think Mr. Agreste has been working you too hard if you forget your 23rd birthday.”

Marinette shrugged, but a soft blush spattered her cheeks. “I didn’t forget….well only a little…” she replied quietly. “I hope it happens tomorrow…..but it probably won’t. I’ll probably have to wait forever for my soulmate’s birthday, or maybe they died…..”

Alya knocked a hand against Marinette’s cheek. “Hey you, yes you! Don’t let those negative thoughts consume you. You’ve been hanging out with Mr. Debby Downer too long. You have someone waiting for you, believe me, and they’re going to be worth it. You are too kind for there to be no one out there for you. Instead of focusing on the negative,” Alya poked Marinette playfully; “Think of who it could be; the positive.” Alya started to ramble as she listed name after name of all their coworkers that were not matched yet. “It could be Kim, Max, Kagami….Literally anyone who is not matched in this office could be yours. Anyone in the whole entire world could be your soulmate! He or she is just waiting like you are, but we have to think about who’s older than you. It’s terrible to wait for your soulmate, believe me.”

Marinette hummed non committedly. “I bet it is” Marinette mused. “I kind of hope it’s someone I haven’t met, though. The people in this office are cool, don’t get me wrong, but I know them and already know everything about them. I think it would be interesting to fall in love with someone by learning about who they are along the way. I feel like if it was someone I knew I would have a problem falling for them because I would already have an image of them, you know?” Marinette leaned up against the counter and took a slide glance at Alya before returning her gaze to the coffee cup in her hands. “I want to meet someone new so I can take my time loving them. You know me, always the romantic.”

Alya nodded her head slowly. “I kind of understand, but who’s to say love just happens when you switch bodies? There are studies showing that once you’ve had the switch you have already started to fall in love with the person because some of the magic involved in the switch. Some kind of thing about soulmate science and how your souls are meant to be, and the switch between the bodies only kick starts the connection between the souls. So either way, love starts to bloom the moment you wake up in your soulmate’s body. I kind of felt that with Nino, and I knew him. I would even say that I felt the attachment to him before he even turned twenty-three. There was already a small connection before I woke up in his body, so I felt reassured when I started to love him for real. My parents were the same way.”

Marinette sighed. “That sounds nice….but I also hope it’s not just forced love, you know?” Marinette returned her focus to the coffee and food in her hands. “I just hope my soulmate will help me get out of this hell hole”. 

“Alya put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and squeezed. “Don’t worry about it. What will be, will be. I can guarantee that you will be happy though”.

“My parents always say that too,” Marinette said with a smile. “I think I’ve told you this story before, but my mother helped my father get out of his own little hell hole. He had happened to be kidnapped the night where my mom turned 23, so she had some fun getting him out. They had never met, but my mom, in his body, helped him run away from his kidnappers. Of course falling in love was a little easier when they got wrapped in some danger. It was a miracle, and I always dreamed to have some sort of story like that, but like with less fighting bad guys and stuff,” Marinette explained, letting out a little laugh. As a little girl she had spent nights dreaming about going on adventures with her soulmate. “I’m not saying I want that, but it could be cool…”

“Yeah, I wouldn’t advise going on death defying adventures tomorrow, if I were you.” Alya paused, a mischievous look appearing on her face. “You and your clumsiness would spell a recipe for disaster. But you know what would be equally scary adventure?” Alya put a finger to her chin in thought. “What if your soulmate was Mr. Agreste….”

Marinette’s face crumpled up in complete revulsion. She put out a hand to stop Alya from continuing. “Just let me barf in this trash can right here...yeah um.. No.”

“He’s older than 23 and he hasn’t made the switch yet, so he’s still up for grabs,” Alya teased, attempting to hold in her laughs at Marinette’s reaction as she wiggled her eyebrows up and down.

“We don’t know that! Hell, I don’t even want to think about it!...Not that there are any takers besides Miss Bourgeois. She’s turning 23 within the month. She can have him right now, to be honest,” Marinette replied with a rye laugh. “I might as well kill him now; his soulmate will thank me later.” Taking the plate and mug, Marinette walked out of the room with Alya close behind.

“Remember when you had a crush on him?” Alya asked in a stage whisper.

With her foot, Marinette kicked back at Alya’s shin. “Shh! No need for the whole building to know!” Marinette glanced around rapidly, looking for anyone listening in on their conversation as they passed designers’ cubicles. She pushed Alya into the elevator and quickly pushed the button to close the door. As the door closed, Marinette relaxed against the metal walls and let out a breath before turning to glare at Alya. “Ok I liked him for like two seconds before he opened his mouth and yelled at me for not staying exactly three feet away from him.” Marinette rolled her shoulders to push back the memories.

“Oh it was much longer than that, trust me. Remember that fateful day when he touched your hand…” Alya struck a pose and looked like a fainting maiden as she laid her hand across her forehead. “But I have to agree, he doesn’t exactly play nice. He may be attractive, but boy what a temper”. Marinette pushed Alya back playfully, careful to keep her boss’ coffee from spilling. 

“No one can deny he is an attractive man to the eyes, but his personality and voice categorize him as Satan himself. He is the worst human being, and nothing will change my mind.” The elevator dinged softly as it reached the fifth floor. Marinette gave a sad wave to her friend as Alya exited the elevator. “See you soon.”

Alya gave her a sympathetic look. “Try not to get on his bad side today.”

“Too late,” Marinette growled, letting the elevator doors close. Alya called out again, wishing Marinette luck, before the elevator started its ascent.

Marinette sighed as she rested her head against the metal sides of the elevator. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander in the short seconds of peace. She felt the dull ache in her heart, and she pressed a hand against her chest to try and suppress the painful beating. That pain had been a constant in her life, but it was no heart condition, at least not physically. The aching comes from the lack of soulmate, or rather the lack of having them near. Her mother said it was normal and would go away when she met her soulmate, but Marinette still had the fear of never meeting them and perpetually feeling the ache inside her chest. The fear of being alone, in terms of having a significant other, scared Marinette.  _ Maybe tomorrow will answer some of these questions _ , she thought to herself.

The elevator let out a jarring ding, and Marinette groaned. She could already hear the dull yelling of her employer in the distance. Marinette rolled her eyes and made her way towards the office. She opened the dark, wooden doors to his office, letting herself in to set down his breakfast on his coffee table. She didn’t even need to glance up to know the position in which the young designer and her boss was in as Mr. Agreste continued to yell. Mr. Agreste was no doubt leaned over his large desk with a purple face from yelling. He would be pointing fingers, coming dangerously close to hitting the designer. The young designer would then be cowering in their little, child’s seat in front of the desk and would be murmuring answers to the accusations that couldn’t be heard over Mr. Agreste’s loud and coarse voice. When Marinette did look up, she gave the young designer a pitying look before settling herself on the sofa beside the desk. She scrolled mindlessly through the files on her tablet, looking at the schedule for the day while trying to not listen to the conversation.

“You can’t use mustard yellow! That does nothing to accentuate the curves of the model.” Mr. Agreste rested his head in his hands, but jumped up as he thought of yet another thing to yell at his employee. “And I told you to go PLAID!”

The designer in front of Mr. Agreste cowered at his raised voice, and he quickly pulled his designs close to his chest, as if they were going to be burned by Mr. Agreste’s gaze. “But yesterday you said…”

“Never mind what I said YESTERDAY! YESTERDAY is not TODAY!” Mr. Agreste leapt from his chair and slammed his fist on his desk. Once he deemed that the designer was cowering enough, he waved a hand towards the poor worker. “You are dismissed. Have the new designs by the end of the hour!”

The designer bowed continuously as he shuffled out of the office, stumbling over his multitude of thank yous. Marinette scowled after the designer, but turned her sour gaze towards her boss. 

His demeanor had completely changed as he happily stuffed croissants and crackers into his mouth. He met his assistant’s gaze mid-chew and he stared blankly up at her. “What…?”

Marinette huffed and slammed her stack of papers onto his desk. “You can’t treat your employees like that!” she berated him, poking him hard in the chest.

He pushed her hand away as he rolled his eyes. “I don’t really need to concern myself with that. If they leave, I can always find a hungry, new art student to fill the position. That’s how I got you, remember?” Adrien Agreste gave her a smirk before returning to his food. He pointed at the cup of coffee, the red letters of ‘World’s Best Boss’ mocking him. “No arsenic right?” He asked cautiously, but the quirk of his eyebrows made it seem like he was purposely poking her buttons.

Marinette threw her arms up in fake surrender. “No,  _ sir _ , I would never.”

Mr. Agreste raised an eyebrow before taking a sip.

“I may have slipped something in,” Marinette murmured, turning her attention back to her tablet.

Mr. Agreste spluttered, spraying coffee all over his lap. “Excuse me?” Mr. Agreste swiveled his head and glared at his assistant.

Marinette looked up at Mr. Agreste innocently, smiling. “Nothing, Mr. Agreste.”

Adrien sighed as he set his coffee aside and focused on the mound of emails sitting in his inbox. “I see you have yet to calm down from this morning, Miss Dupain-Cheng”. 

Marinette could feel her blood begin to boil, but she tamped it down. “I will have the proposal done by eleven, sir” she replied coldly.

Mr. Agreste smirked. “Good. You are dismissed.”

Marinette rolled her eyes and grabbed the stack of new proposals and outfit ideas on the side of his desk, balancing them on the side of her waist. “Don’t forget about the meeting in five,” Marinette mentioned before turning to leave.

Adrien groaned. “Oh, send an email to Chloe Bourgeois asking what she would like for her birthday, and send an email to my father to decline that one invitation,” he called before she could close the door. Adrien Agreste lazily put the last of the crumbs into his mouth, leaving a slight speckling around his lips. “You may take away my dishes; I am done with them.”

“Yes sir,” Marinette muttered, taking a glance at him from behind. She pulled the door open with a foot,and tossed the stack of papers onto her small desk, making it wobble on uncertain legs. She wrote a quick note to herself about the emails before returning to the office to retrieve the dishes.

Leaving the coffee cup, Marinette gathered the plates in her arms. Her eyes caught on the flakes of the leftover croissants around his lips. She suddenly had an urge to clean off his face. Marinette growled at herself and pushed herself out of the room in an effort to push the thoughts away. Safely behind her desk, Marinette focused herself on her work in an effort to rid her mind of her boss. There was only so much she could do if she wanted to keep her job. He was still alive, unfortunately.

000

Marinette rubbed her eyes, trying to rekindle some sort of energy to finish her last design. The darkness in the sky had set in and was creeping towards her monitor, making her lean closer to her screen. Most of the employees had left for the day, leaving Mr. Agreste and his assistant to wrap up for the day. Marinette knocked her head against her keyboard and groaned. “One more, one more,” she whispered to herself.

“Why don’t you go home?”

Marinette jumped at the voice and looked up, startled. Mr. Agreste was bundled up in a luxurious pea coat and fur gloves stacked in his pocket. His face was sullen, as usual. Marinette resisted the urge to roll her eyes at his question.  _ He never cares when I go home, unless it inconveniences him _ . She stood up and gave him a quick bow before sitting down again. “I have a few more papers to finish before I can go, sir. I’ll lock up when I leave the building, as usual. Have a good night sir.” Marinette nodded and returned to her work, determined to talk to her boss as little as possible.

Mr. Agreste nodded in confirmation, pursing his lips. “Good night, Miss Dupain-Cheng.”

Marinette growled at her computer screen, watching his receding figure out of the corner of her eye. The word soulmate suddenly stuck out on the screen, to Marinette, in the midst of long paragraphs describing a new fashion show, reminding Marinette of tomorrow. She suddenly stood up she called after her boss. “Sir!”

Mr. Agreste turned around reluctantly, sighing deeply and sticking his hands in his pockets as he gave her a withering look. “Yes, Miss Dupain-Cheng.”

Marinette rubbed her hands together in front of her as she gathered her thoughts quickly. “I wa-I was wondering if I could ask a few hours off tomorrow. I’m turning twenty-three and just in case I switch bodies, I want to be able to, you know, meet my soulmate?”

Mr. Agreste rolled his eyes and walked back slowly to her desk, taking his steps deliberately slow. He drummed his fingers on the top of her desk, making it shake as he met her eyes. “I don’t think that’s necessary, Miss Dupain-Cheng. I expect you here at the same time as usual.” Mr. Agreste turned to leave once again, but was held back by Marinette’s hand on his arm.

Marinette swallowed carefully holding in the sudden anger boiling in her stomach as she retracted her hand. “I’m sorry sir, but you can’t expect that. Most employers give the day off to their employees 23rd birthday; it’s custom. Unless you would like an incompetent person coming in to work as me, you had better give me at least a few hours off!” Marinette demanded.

Adrien Agreste scoffed. “As you probably already know, I am not like most employers, Miss Dupain-Cheng. Chances are, you will not switch bodies tonight and you will then get the day off for absolutely no reason. I see no cause in giving you the day off, or even a few hours when nothing will happen. Now listen closely, because I will only say this once: you will come to work at the same time tomorrow. If you don’t, you will be fired.”

“Excuse me?” Marinette tightened her jaw and felt her hands curl up into fists. “I will be fired simply because of something I cannot control? You must be mistaken, sir, if you believe that I have no right to a day off if I happen to meet my soulmate tomorrow. I can still come in at the normal time if I do not switch bodies, but this is ridiculous. You are ridiculous and sorely mistaken if you believe that you can simply fire me for that!”

“I am never mistaken,  _ Secretary _ ,” he growled. His face was slowly turning red, and Marinette’s smile grew as she realized that she was finally hitting a nerve in him, even if it cost her her job. However, despite this satisfaction, his choice of words were equally digging into her nerves.

“You make mistakes just as many times as everyone else, unless you’re some type of robot, which sometimes I question whether you are or not.” Marinette walked around her desk to meet her boss’ gaze on the same playing field. He was still taller than her, but she felt more control as she was able to meet his intimidating gaze with one of her own. “I demand that you give me at least some time off. I do all that you ask every day; every hour of every week, but you can’t possibly give me the one thing I’ve asked for? You really are a heartless human being,” she spat.

Mr. Agreste stepped closer to Marinette, looking down at her with disgust. “I believe you forget who you are in this company. You are a mere secretary who is here to serve me, do you understand? I owe you nothing.” He let the air between them freeze as he took the time to give her a withering stare. “I gave you this job when I could have just let you suffer on the streets as poor, penniless art student. I was kind to let you in here, girl. I don’t care if you want to meet your soulmate and take a few days off. We can’t afford that kind of time in this company. If you want a few days off, you can leave.”

“ Just because you don’t have a soulmate does not mean you can spoil others happiness!” Marinette shouted, startling a few employees who were still on the floor. “I just want a few hours off, and I will take them.” Marinette leaned over her desk and grabbed her bag. “If you want to fire me, fine. But I will laugh when your company crashes and burns when I join the rival company.”

“You won’t even get a job,” he sneered. His eyes were shot and he was trembling in a feeble attempt to control his anger at her words.

“I’ve already been given offers.” Marinette stomped on Mr. Agreste’s foot, smiling as he bent down in pain. “Rot in hell, you cow.” Those around them gasped in shock and watched in awe as Marinette simply walked away, leaving Mr. Agreste fuming.

000

“I can’t believe you did that, Marinette.” Alya smiled at Marinette and raised a glass to her. “To Marinette, honestly the bravest person in Paris.”

“To Marinette!” The group of friends cried, clinking glasses together. Marinette weakly raised her glass, but hid her face behind one of her hands in embarrassment.

“I still can’t believe I did that…” Marinette leaned her head against Alya’s shoulder and groaned. “What a great way to start a new chapter of my life with my soulmate and no job.”

Mylene put a hand on Marinette’s shoulder and squeezed it. “That doesn’t matter; your soulmate will support you no matter what, believe me. You made the right choice to get rid of that man.”

“I love that you called him a cow,” Alix added, slapping Marinette on the back. “That was golden.”

Marinette ducked her head and let out a small smile. “Thanks guys.” She took a drink from her coke glass and enjoyed the conversations going on around her. It was a perfect night on the town before she hopefully made the switch with her soulmate. That was the way things were supposed to work on the youngest out of the two soulmate’s twenty-third birthday. Living as their other half, the pair had six weeks to fall in love, but most did within the first hour of the switch. No one really knew when this magical ceremony started, but it had been going on for centuries now and it was one of the most sacred. Everyone was supposed to have their twenty-third birthday off because of it. Apparently that did not matter to Mr. Agreste.

Alya waved a hand in front of Marinette’s face to get her attention. “Hey, you doing alright?” she asked quietly. 

Marinette nodded and gave her a small smile. “Yeah, just thinking.”

“Did you want to go home early? You’ve had a pretty crazy day. Do you just want to put on a movie and settle down for a little while?” 

Marinette took a glance around at her friends and smiled at their happy faces. “I don’t want to ruin the night.”

“Oh come on, this night is for you. If you want to go home, you should,” Rose said.

Alya patted Marinette’s back. “Do you want me to spend the night?” Marinette nodded her head.

“Just in case…” she murmured as she grabbed her purse and paid for her part of the bill. Marinette made her way around the table thanking and hugging her friends before following Alya out of the restaurant.

Alya slung her arm around Marinette’s shoulders and hugged her tightly. “I can’t believe my little baby is growing up!” Marinette playfully pushed Alya away, but Alya just pulled her close again, acting a little tipsy after just a few drinks. “You’re going to be so happy! You’ll finally be able to live your life without someone controlling it for you. I’m so happy for you!” Alya squished her face against Marinette’s, making both of them laugh. 

“Don’t speak too soon,” Marinette murmured and led them to the backseat of a taxi and let the driver take them the rest of the way home.

Alya gave Marinette a concerned look, trying to pry some words out of her. Marinette shook her head. “We talked about what’s worrying me earlier; no need to repeat it.” Alya nodded, taking the answer, but offered her shoulder for Marinette to lay her head against. She carded her fingers through the shorts ends of Marinette’s hair, soothing her.

“No need to worry,” she murmured. “If your soulmate won’t love you, which I seriously doubt, I’ll still love you. Nothing will change that.”

Marinette wrapped her hands around Alya’s waist, or at least as much as she could reach. “Thank you. Love you,” she whispered into Alya’s shoulder. “What would I do without you?”

It was completely dark as they unlocked the door to Marinette’s small apartment. Marinette hit the switch to the lights of her kitchen while Alya made a beeline towards the coffee machine. “Do you think you’ll still switch bodies at midnight if you don’t fall asleep?” Alya wondered out loud. “I never got the chance to try it because I had to wait for Nino to come of age, but we should totally try it! I think most people just give up and fall asleep, or if they did stay up, they didn’t report their findings. We could make serious money if we figure something out!” Alya exclaimed, brandishing a coffee filter at Marinette.

Marinette shook her head and laughed. “It’s always fun to see you get all philosophical when you get just the slightest bit tipsy.” Marinette took a glance up at the clock before positioning herself on one of the kitchen counters. They had about a half hour before it turned midnight, which surprised Marinette. She would usually be asleep by this time, or so wrapped up in a project that it would be five a.m. before she knew it. At this moment in time, Marinette would give anything to just fall asleep on the nearest surface,but in a strange way she wasn’t tired at all. She felt like a child on Christmas Eve; way too excited to fall asleep even though her body needed it. A new beginning was coming in less than thirty minutes, and Marinette could hardly contain herself. Alya paused her hot chocolate making to place her hand on Marinette’s bouncing knee.

“Relax. Forget about what I’m saying, and get ready for bed. I’ll bring hot chocolate to you.”

Marinette followed Alya’s orders and went to her bedroom to put some pajamas on and get under her covers. She took a little while, staring at the clothes in her closet before she decided on the best outfit to wear that would be appropriate for someone else to wake up in. No holey shorts or threadbare shirts would be appropriate for this occasion. Marinette grabbed one of her handmade nightgowns and slipped it on before crawling under the covers of her bed. 

She was a little tired, but what she didn’t expect to fall asleep right away. She stared blankly up at her ceiling, trying to imagine what tomorrow would bring.  _ Not a job, that’s for certain, but I guess I can just contact Tikki and ask her for a job at the bakery until I can get contracted by another agency. Hopefully I won’t have to worry about that tomorrow. I wonder if my soulmate will be by my side tomorrow. What a crazy thing that will be _ . Marinette felt her eyes grow heavy as the clock above her head started to chime.  _ I wonder what it will be like… _


	2. Chapter 2

Adrien usually loved mornings. It was a time for him to be productive and happy on his own. However, his morning did not start out well as a throbbing headache woke him up, making him groan. What did I do last night? Why does my head hurt so much? Adrien whined as he rolled onto his side and pressed a hand over his eyes, trying to cut out the sun. I didn't drink that much last night… Adrien slowly opened one eye, letting himself adjust to the morning sunlight while he filtered through his memories of last night. He just remembers coming home late, and angrily grabbing a bottle of wine. He vaguely remembers downing at least half of the bottle and looking back at his old, saved albums on his phone. Adrien grimaced and shoved his head into the pillow. He didn't mean to let Marinette's words get to him last night, but the words had crept beneath his walls, as usual. Adrien let out a silent scream into his pillow before pushing himself into a sitting position. As he rubbed his eyes, the first thing he noticed was a room that was not his. A mild form of panic began to fill his mind, but he tried to breathe deeply as he scanned the room. The room had similar features to his own, like a bookshelf, a bed, a large window facing him, and some bedside tables. There was a desk to the side that had piles of paper, a discarded mirror, a few tape measures, and some fabric scraps littered across it, making it look nothing like his usually spotless desk. I have got to stop drinking. Waking up in a random house I don't remember is a bad sign. "What happened?" Adrien whispered, but it did not come out the way he expected it to. He clapped a hand over his mouth and squeaked in surprise as a feminine voice came out instead.

Adrien coughed and tried again, but he got the same result. He felt a shiver crawl up his spine, making him jump out of bed and run to the mirror that lay abandoned on the messy desk. He tripped over someone in a sleeping bag, but he paid no mind to the person on the floor as he himself was having an identity crisis. His reflection was definitely not his own, and Adrien saw himself go pale. The eyes were bright blue and large. His hair was black and framed his new face around the chin. The nose was small and slightly upturned and the lips were thin, but were thicker than his own. Adrien muffled another scream with his hand. He dared to look down and saw the body of a woman instead of his own. He was in the body of his former employee, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and all of a sudden the throbbing headache was the least of his worries. He felt like he was going to throw up in shock, but he gritted his teeth and tried to force himself to calm down.

Adrien turned away from the mirror and looked frantically all over the room, hoping to see a phone or something when spotted what he assumed was Marinette's phone with a note beside it. He snatched up the phone first, but it lay dead in his palm. Adrien put the phone back and moved on to the note, hoping it would explain something, or at least settle his nerves. In the first read through, Adrien could barely understand a word as his pounding and frantic heart kept him from concentrating. However, towards the end of the letter, his eyes stuttered on the word "soulmate", and he felt his stomach drop and the sick feeling returned. Adrien glanced back to the beginning of the note and tried to read it again..

Hi! I'm not really sure what to say, but I wanted to write a letter to whoever has woken up in my body. I know it is probably super scary, but just remember that I'm going through this experience with you too. Writing this letter now, the night before I turn 23, it is hard to imagine that I will have a soulmate and be able to meet you soon. My name is Marinette, by the way. I can't wait to learn your name too. I have been waiting for you for a long time, and I hope you have too. Some things you might want to know about me (I swear It's not that serious) is that my favorite color is pink, I want to become a fashion designer, and I used to work in a bakery when I was a kid because my parents are bakers. I can't wait to get to know you and get to know the facts that make up you. I am ok if you want to stay friends or want to become something more. Just as long as I get to be a part of your life, I will be happy :-)

Can't wait to meet you,

Marinette 3

Adrien paused after finishing reading the note for the tenth time, letting the words sink in. He let the post-it float towards the ground as he got lost in thought. Soulmate, his brain repeated over and over again. Soulmate. Adrien clutched the soft bed sheets on top of him and closed his eyes to try and regain control over his mind. "There's no such thing as soulmates," Adrien repeated to himself with determination. A memory flickered behind his eyes. The painful words: "You aren't my soulmate" spun around his head, leaving an unsettling ring in his ears. Heat pressed against the back of his eyes, and Adrien struggled to gain control. A voice whispered behind him, but he couldn't hear it. He felt his muscles bunch up and he could feel his fingernails pressing against his palms, but he mostly could feel the dull ache inside his chest that never went away.

"Marinette!" the voice called again, but this time a hand was there to pull Adrien out by the shoulder. He lashed out because of the sudden movement, but was confused when his eyes landed on Alya Cesaire, her hair still tussled from sleep.

"Ms. Cesaire?" He asked, confusion evident in his tone. He pushed back from her hold, but his world spun with the sudden movement. Adrien tilted back,and frantically reached forward to regain his balance. Alya touched his shoulder again to stabilize him, but the touch was much lighter and more comforting than the one before.

"Oh my god, it happened," Alya whispered. A small smile spread across her face as she glanced eagerly into his face. Her gaze was so piercing, he felt like she was trying to get a glimpse of his soul. He instinctively turned away, but Alya's vice-like grip kept him from backing away. "What's your name? Do you know Marinette? Where do you live? What do you do? How do you know me? Do you work in fashion too? How old are you? Are you going to hurt Marinette? Because if you are, I have to tell you, as her best friend, that I will carve out your-"

Adrien held up a hand to hold off the stream of questions. His world was still spinning, and he felt like he might collapse if he had to process much more. "Hold on, hold on. You need to stop with the questions for a second before I throw up on your socks." Adrien paused and took a deep breath, fighting off the pain from his stomach while simultaneously filtering through Alya's questions, deciding which ones he wanted to answer. "I know who you are, and I have...I have met Ms. Dupain-Cheng…I live in Paris...and that is all I will answer." Adrien pressed his lips firmly together and refused to speak as Alya continued to prod him with questions. He closed his eyes, trying to block out Alya's voice as he continued to focus on not throwing up. I just want to get this over with, Adrien thought to himself. I just want to go to work and forget about this.

"-Marinette. We just have to get you there and give you two some alone time and it will be fixed. But before we go, you need to tell me your name, because I'm not going to let my best friend marry some random guy or girl who happens to be her soulmate. I have to protect her, you know? So how old are you?"

"I'm afraid this situation is a mistake," he finally said. "I'm not who you are looking for. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get to work." Adrien pulled away from Marinette's friend's and stumbled out of the small bedroom to try and find a bathroom. The feeling of throwing up was becoming more prominent as the morning was progressing, but the pain in his chest was also worsening. He felt like his whole body was falling apart by the second. Adrien knew he needed something, but that something was too far away to offer any comfort to him.

"Where do you think you're going!" Alya called after him, rushing to block his way. "It's not a mistake; you and Marinette Dupain-Cheng are soulmates. Now I have no clue who 'you' is, but I'm not just going to let you run away when you haven't even met your soulmate. What's wrong with you? Haven't you been waiting all your life for your soulmate?"

Adrien rolled his eyes and pointed to the bathroom door. "Can I throw up first? This is not that urgent. It's a mistake because neither of us like each other, believe me." The image of the fight last night came to the forefront of his mind, making Adrien groan. "This is the reason right here why I think soulmates are stupid. None of them are ever meant for each other." He pushed past Alya and entered the restroom, but not before Alya could ask a few more questions.

"What is wrong with you? Who are you?" She gripped the top of his arm and held tightly.

Adrien rolled his eyes at her actions, but was willing to give her one answer. "I am Adrien Agreste, so if you will excuse me, I need to get ready to go to work." And with that, he shut the bathroom door firmly behind him with a click.

000

Marinette clutched the edge of the porcelain sink in front of her and tried taking deep breaths while counting to ten over and over again. She couldn't make herself look into the mirror again. She scratched at her chest and tried to ignore the irregular beats and the pain radiating from her heart. There was a need to find her soulmate as he would be the only comfort to the pain, but the thought of her actual soulmate repulsed her. Marinette did not want to go back to the way it was. She did not want to go back to the way it was at work where she knelt at his feet doing everything for him. Only yesterday, Marinetted had thought that with her soulmate she could move on from her job with Monsieur Agreste, but now looking into the face of Adrien Agreste in the mirror, she realized that there would be no moving on.

Marinette still felt like herself, but looking down, it was weird to see different hands, body, and feet. Hands that were too long and veiny, suggesting the years of piano they had played. The hands and fingernails were well kept, but lacked use. These hands were well versed in shuffling paperwork instead of kneading bread and sewing. Marinette forced herself to close her eyes again, pushing the repulsion back inside her mind.

It was a weird combination of feelings to feel love at the thought of a soulmate, but revulsion towards the mind and body of her true soulmate. Taking care not to stare too long at any feature, Marinette splashed water onto her face before returning to the lavish bedroom that she woke up in. Her eyes scanned the room for a phone. Using facial recognition, the phone unlocked. The background screen was a plain green and the apps that filled the screen were simple, and boring. Nothing about her soulmate seemed interesting. There was nothing about him that seemed special, especially to an outsider. She wasn't really an outsider after working with him for five years and becoming his soulmate, but the term outsider still felt applicable to Marinette. Marinette flicked through the screens until she found the phone app, and typed in her best friend's phone number. She waited as patiently as the phone rang, her fingers tapping against the fabric of the bedsheets beside her.

"Marinette?"

"Hi Alya," Marinette replied. Her voice cracked and she coughed to try and cover up her surprise in hearing Adrien's voice come out of her mouth. Adrien's monotone voice felt out of place and made her cringe every time she opened her mouth. The voice was not hers, and it annoyed her to no end, but it was what she was stuck with for the time being. Marinette clenched her jaw and let her free hand fiddle with the drawstrings of her pajama pants. "Are you with Monsieur Agreste?"

Alya was silent for a time, and Marinette heard shuffling on the other line before Alya continued. "Hey, you ok? You don't sound so great, which is understandable, but...it could be worse?"

"Alya, you're not answering my question," Marinette prompted.

Alya let out a deep sigh. "Well you're not answering mine either." Both of them were silent for a beat. "Mari, I'm so sorry, Maybe this is a mistake-"

"No," Marinette replied, exasperated. Marinette shook her head and got up from the bed and started pacing around the room, trying to get her thoughts in order. "There is no mistaking this. I am literally in his body; I am his soulmate. I know this is not what I wanted, and frankly I feel like I'm going to throw up if I look in the mirror again, but…" Marinette looked up at the ceiling and tried to ignore the heat radiating behind her eyes. "But if I want a happy ending…He's my soulmate. His body feels so foreign to me, but it's not like I can do anything about it! Everything feels wrong, or at least in my head, but my soul almost feels content, save for the excruciating pain radiating from it simply because he's not near me. I want to meet him, but I feel like I'm going to throw up if I take one look at him. I hate him, Alya, but this is my only chance at happine-"

"Mari, he doesn't want to try," Alya confessed so quietly, Marinette barely heard her, but it still caused her to pause. "He's been in the bathroom for the past fifteen minutes and won't come out. He said he just wants to go to work. He doesn't want to meet you...He doesn't want you…or at least that's what he says..."

"So he's still there?" Marinette asked harshly, anger and fear sneaking into her voice as her mood suddenly changed. She jumped off of the enormous bed and launched herself towards the walk in closet and started to pull clothes off the hangers at random and started to dress herself haphazardly.

"Marinette I don't think-"

"No, I need to talk to him, Alya."

"You said yourself you don't like him! You called him a cow and walked out of his company. If that's not the reason why he doesn't want you as a soulmate, I'm not sure you or I want to find out the real reason why he doesn't want you."

Marinette grimaced. "I need to know the reason Alya, or it will eat me alive. Yeah he is a cow and an asshole, but we are soulmates whether we like it or not. We have to figure something out, at least to fix this stupid chest pain." Marinette peeled off her pajamas while keeping the day old boxers on so she could redress herself. She ran a hand through Adrien's short hair before dashing out of the room with the phone in hand.

"Ok, I'll make sure he doesn't leave before you arrive, but Mari….just be careful. Maybe soulmates aren't everything?"

Marinette paused right outside the bedroom in a long, carpeted hallway at Alya's words. "Alya, you can't live like an hour without Nino. Soulmates are supposed to be there for each other, and I guess I should at least try. Yes, I hate him, but maybe he can prove me wrong," Marinette finished with fake confidence. "I hope he will prove me wrong,at least enough so we can return to our bodies," she admitted, more quietly. "I'll see you in a few. Keep him there."

Marinette tucked the phone in her pocket as she wound her way down the hallway until she found a set of stairs that led her to the hallway of the enormous home that Adrien Agreste inherited from his father. She had only been there a few times for events, but she was confident that she could at least find an exit on her own. As she spotted the front doors, a voice called out to her from the base of the stairs, making her stop in her tracks.

"Adrien, where are you going?" Natalie, Adrien's housekeeper, raised an eyebrow at Marinette. Marinette gulped as quietly as she could and smiled tentatively at Natalie.

"Oh hey Natalie! How are you?" Marinette's, or rather Adrien's voice came out as a squeak and Marinette quickly coughed to try and cover it. "Oh, I'm just, uhhhhh...late for work! You know, such a busy schedule paired with staying out late…..the usual." Marinette tried to nod her head like she was totally believing the bs that was coming out of her mouth. She leaned against the banister to her right and almost fell, but she quickly caught herself and continued to smile awkwardly at Natalie, hoping she would somehow believe the worst imitation of Adrien Agreste that Marinette could muster.

Natalie looked blankly up at Marinette, and Marinette was sure her cover was blown, but a moment later Natalie shrugged and turned to leave the room. "Just make sure it doesn't happen again Adrien. You know your father would have been very upset." Natalie turned away, but not without an added comment. "Interesting outfit, by the way."

Marinette glanced down and groaned out loud at the interesting hawaiin shirt sticking out from under a bright yellow sweat-shirt, paired with a pair of patterned joggers and boots. Marinette mumbled an unintelligible reply as she pulled the sweatshirt farther down over her torso before darting down the stairs and out the door, not waiting for Natalie's reply.

Marinette pulled the hoodie of the sweatshirt, that she had grabbed, over her head as the sunlight hit her face. She instantly regretted that she hadn't grabbed something heavier in the early fall frost that chilled this particular morning in Paris. Marinette tried to make her way inconspicuously down the streets of Paris towards her apartment. She shoved her hands into her pockets and wrapped her fingers into fists as she took deep breaths. It was weird to look at Paris through someone else's eyes and shoes, literally. More people turned towards her to stare, and she was starting to constantly be reminded of how famous her new body is. Most people knew who Adrien Agreste was, so the walk over to her apartment took longer than expected as she was halted by fans asking for pictures. She ducked her head and gave only nervous smiles to those who met her eyes.

Marinette did not have a plan. She didn't even know why she wanted to see Adrien when not 24 hours before she was planning on never seeing him again. Now she was on her way to what? Marinette didn't know. She knew he didn't want to talk to her, so maybe she was just desperate or hopeful enough to simply meet her soulmate.

Climbing the stairs to her apartment, Marinette felt the pain in her chest lessened. Instead, a buzzing and sparking flickered at the tips of her fingers. Marinette took a deep breath before knocking. "Alya?" she called softly.

000

Adrien kept the lights off in the bathroom as he focused on breathing. He still felt like throwing up, but that was not an option in his current stage. He needed to get to work and not get distracted by a simple soulmate. The very idea of it was ludicrous to him, but in the very back of his mind he couldn't help but be pleased. It was a moment people looked forward to, but it had been years of waiting that had led Adrien to push away the hope of finding his soulmate. He could remember a time where he fell so hard for someone to only have her find her soulmate. He never wanted to go through that again, so he had pushed the thought to the back of his mind and had thrown away the key. He never expected that the door would open itself up.

Adrien flipped on the lights to the bathroom and glared at himself in the mirror. It was only the second time he had seen this face so close up before. He stepped closer to the mirror and analyzed his new face, touching it with cautious fingers. He could not deny that Marinette was attractive and beautiful, but he did not know how to react to those facts. Her eyes were large and like that of a doe and were bright blue. Her eyelashes were not as long as his, but their dark color framed her eyes perfectly. There was a light dusting of freckles across the bridge of her nose, which were barely visible. Adrien cocked his head and watched his, or rather Marinette's face as he changed his expression from sad to happy; thoughtful to careless. He had only seen Marinette as angry and stoic at work, and it was bizarre for him to see any other expression on her face, especially around him. Adrien almost wished that he would someday be the reason why she would smile, but he knew that was wishful thinking. "I'm nothing but a cow to her, and a coward to Kagami…" Adrien broke contact with his gaze in the mirror to look down at his hands like he had when he first looked at this new body. He never thought he would have wanted this. Heck he wasn't even sure he should want it, but the idea that he had a soulmate, just like everyone else,was strange. He did not know what to do with the information.

Adrien knew it wasn't fair to anyone to ignore a significant other. He himself had felt that pain, but he still remembers feeling the love… he still felt it. Adrien looked back into the mirror and watched his fingers trace the lines of her face. He didn't know if he could let himself fall again. It had been so dangerous, and for what? What was his reward? Pain? Resentment? Adrien knew that he was no longer like his younger, carefree self as too many things happened at once and he had lost everything. He didn't know how to express himself anymore; he didn't know where to start or whether he should start, or who he should go to. Any soulmate deserved better than him, so why should he choose to burden them with his thoughts and worries when not even Kagami cared in the end. "Adrien…" Adrien whispered his own name into the depth of the silent bathroom, almost like waiting for a response. The name, said by Marinette's voice, sent shivers down his back. Adrien's lips twitched and the corners turned up just slightly. It wasn't a smile, but it was a start.

Outside the bathroom door, Adrien could faintly hear Alya on the phone, and deemed that it was safe to escape the bathroom. He wasn't changed and he did not look ready for the day, but he had a feeling that going to work was not going to be an option until he met with Marinette Adrien softly let himself out of the bathroom and tried to quickly run to the bedroom without being noticed by Alya, who had migrated to the small living room. He let out a sigh of relief as he made it to the bedroom and was able to close the door quietly. Not sure what else to really do, Adrien settled himself on the covers of the bed and folded his hands in his lap and kept his gaze on the door. He was stupid to not believe that Mairenette would not come to meet him. Yeah, she hates him,but the words she displayed in her letter meant that there was hope. And maybe he held a little hope inside him too. That wasn't a crime, right?

000

Marinette knocked hesitantly on the door, suddenly regretting her decisions. She bit her lip as she let out a squeak and she struggled with herself as she was deciding to make a break for it or stay put. Alya opened the door slowly, making Marinette pause mid-motion, hands above her head at weird angles. Alya's grim face met Marinette's, but it broke into a small smile at Marinette's antics. "You really don't change, do you, not even in Adrien's body. Where did you even get that shirt?" Alya pointed to Marinette's interesting choice in clothes.

Marinette rolled her eyes, knowing how ridiculous the ensemble looked. "You should see yourself." Marinette gestured weakly towards Alya's wrinkled pajamas with little foxes on them. Alya simply shrugged.

"I've had quite the morning." Alya beckoned Marinette inside, but not without poking at her curiously. "You look weird, though. It's like you're Mr. Agreste, but with your mannerisms..." Alya pulled Marinette's cheek; "You are still you amazingly. Wow," she admitted with quiet awe. Marinette batted the hand away.

"Where is he?"

"Bedroom," Alya jerked a thumb towards the back of the apartment. Marinette began to walk towards the bedroom,but Alya caught her wrist. "Hey, be careful, will you? Don't let his words get to you. I don't really know what's wrong with him, but stand strong. I know you will, but...he doesn't have to become someone to you if you don't want him to." Marinette nodded, her lips set in a firm line. Alya let go of her and watched her best friend slowly make her way towards the bedroom.

Marinette felt the tingly sensation inside her chest grow stronger as she entered the bedroom. It was unbearable pain, like that of one's legs in the last stretch of a race. Her breath caught as she opened the door met the eyes of herself sitting on the bed. Her face was pale and held a hollowness that usually was not there. Marinette felt rooted to the spot as she felt like she was a blossoming flower.

"You're here," came his emotionless voice. He looked up at her, and Marinette felt herself wilt at his gaze. However, she set her jaw and walked towards the bed, opting to sit directly in front of him in her desk chair. She crossed her legs and rested her chin on the palm of her hand. "Got a problem with that?" She raised an eyebrow.

They stared at each other in silence, with neither of their faces showing much emotion. "I don't want this," Adrien Agreste stated, breaking eye contact. He pointed to the note that was still stuck to the bedside table. "But I can see that you do. Let me explain my point of view to you briefly." Adrine took a deep breath as he looked towards the ceiling before fixing her with a dead stare. "I believe we had a conversation last night where I stated that I do not believe in soulmates. I still stand by this statement only in the idea of sentiment. I admit that we are soulmates, in that we have switched bodies, but I do not believe that impacts either person's emotions." He gestured to the two of their bodies; "The universe, or someone, has decided that we were 'soulmates'." Adrien raised two fingers, putting air-quotes around the word 'soulmate'. "I think it's quite impossible for me to fall in love with you. I believe that it is ridiculous to assume that one should fall in love simply because they switched bodies with that someone." Marinette huffed, crossing her arms, but he continued. "So I propose we simply do whatever is necessary to break this ridiculous bond, then go on our separate ways. How does that sound?"

Marinette huffed again. "Yeah that sounds great, except you must know that for us to switch back into our respective bodies, we must fall in love through some shape or form; usually romantic. Now I have been clear in stating that you are a terrible human being, but like you said, I think we should try to fix this normally, but that means becoming close to anothe-"

"That is not what I meant," Adrien spat. "I don't need you!"

"Well tough luck! Unless you like being stuck in my body, this is the only option. Trust me, I don't think I will ever love you, but this-" Marinette gestured to the two of their chests. "This feeling when I have with you cannot be faked." Adrien looked reluctant, so Marinette decided to take a chance. Her parents had mentioned that there was something special that happened when soulmates touched each other, and Marinette hoped it would be enough to convince him. She leaned forward slightly until she could touch his forearm. Her fingers barely touched the skin near his wrist and tingles surged through her arm and coursed through her body. It felt like she had stepped into a hot tub of pop rocks as the sparks bubbled across her skin, melting her worries away. Judging by the change in Adrien's expression, he felt it too. "This is real. There is a link between us whether you or I like it. I have been waiting for you my whole life. I don't want you to get away from me."

"You don't want me." Adrien pushed himself away from her touch. "Even 'perfect' soulmates grow to hate each other. What's worth the effort." Adrien turned away and fiddled with the drawstrings of his pajama pants. "It doesn't work for a lot of people, certainly didn't with my parents, so why should it work for me?"

"Because it could?" Marinette cocked her head. "Just because your parent's relationship didn't work doesn't mean that you're cursed too. Why won't you give me a chance?" Marinette asked, more quietly. She noticed that Adrien looked softer in her body, and after a few years of working with him, she was finally seeing a different side to him.

"You are not her...," was his only reply. He didn't need to say more to make Marinette understand him. He fell in love with someone that was not his soulmate.

"What?" Marinette felt more baffled by the minute. "Your mother? I'd hope not…" Marinette stared at her lap, a thought came to her mind. "A past girlfriend? Is that what you are referring to? Yeah, I would expect to not be like anyone else...I mean I called you a cow, I'm sure no girl ever called you that." Marinette laughed at her own joke, but let the conversation die in the air. Neither spoke or looked at each other for the next few minutes. "But shouldn't that mean something?" Marinette asked, her voice barely above a whisper, but Adrien heard it. Marinette leaned into his personal space again, but dipped her head down to make sure he met her eyes. "Look at me... I'm you. We're going to be stuck like this if we don't do something. You can wish all you want about who you wanted me to be, but you've only got me." Marinette jabbed him in the chest and looked into her own blue eyes. It was nothing like looking in a mirror. It felt like she was looking into her doppleganger's eyes. However, when she touched his chin again, the electricity and the calming look settling into his eyes made everything feel right. "You can fire me, yell at me, and ignore me, but that's not going to change who you're going to see in the mirror every goddamn morning. I didn't ask for this; I didn't ask for you, but I wanted a soulmate and this is what I got. I don't know ho-" Marinette was cut off by a pair of lips jamming into hers, silencing her, save for a squeak. Her hands flew off of Adrien's face and she quickly pulled herself away from him. "The hell?! At least ask first!" Marinette wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. "Do you realize you just kissed yourself? Are you crazy?"

Adrien shrugged, and his demeanor suggested that he was retreating back into himself, covering up the insecurities that had slipped out. "I wanted to shut you up while simultaneously trying to trigger the soulmate bond thingy." He pursed his lips and waved his flippantly, almost as if he was dismissing her. He looked down at his hands and paused. "I don't really fancy kissing myself, though. Nino said that it worked for him and Alya so I thought I might as well try it."

"But they actually loved each other before they even got to their twenty third birthday," Marinette growled, still trying to wipe off his saliva from her face, not that there had been any in the first place. It just felt weird, and Marinette wanted to be rid of the feeling.

Adrien laid his hands out as if he was serving the solution to the problem. "Well I guess we don't have that, do we." He got off of the bed and turned so his back faced her. "Don't worry, I won't do it again." Adrien walked towards the chest of drawers by the window in Marinette's bedroom and picked out some clothes to wear for the day.

Marinette, meanwhile, just sat in the desk chair with her mouth wide open. Adrien tapped her on her shoulder, shaking her from her reveree. "Come on. We have to get to work. You want to keep your job, right? No skipping then." Adrien threw the largest shirt he could find into Marinette's lap. "Get some better clothes on. Those don't match at all. I can't have my employees thinking I've lost my touch, even though I'm...you.. for now."

Marinette glanced down at her hawaiin shirt and patterned joggers to only shrug. "They match well enough. They at least look interesting," she grumbled as she allowed Adrien to grab a change of clothes before heading out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey Readers! Sorry for the long time between updates, but I'm afraid that's going to be a normal thing. I have a lot going on in my life right now, so I'm just doing this in whatever free time I have, so please forgive some of the errors :-) This chapter hopefully began to explain Adrien's weird behavior, and there will only be more information as time goes on, so stay in tuned. As always, feel free to comment, bookmark, or leave kudos if you would like, as it is greatly appreciated. Thank you for reading, and until I write again, TTFN!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Readers! It's been a long time since I have posted any new stories, but I really felt like writing this one. I am really busy now, so I have no clue if I will continue this story or for how long, but hopefully you guys will enjoy the ride with me; it's going to be an interesting one. Thank you so much for reading, and please leave a comment, bookmark, or some kudos if you wish. Until I write again, TTFN!


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